Undermining the democratic process

By BRUCE BENSONColumnist

Published: Saturday, March 15, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 14, 2014 at 3:58 p.m.

I had a meeting with Stephanie Lowder of Rare Bird Creative last week to discuss promotion and marketing of The Flag of Humanity, which I would like to see flying over all the nations of the Earth. After much discussion about the project. the conversation turned to politics.

“Have you heard of a guy named Art Pope?” she asked.

“Uhh … not really. The name sounds vaguely familiar, but …”

“Neither had I until a few months ago. I read an article in The New Yorker, and it made me want to leave North Carolina.”

She sent me the article and I read it immediately, thinking it must be a powerful piece if it would make someone want to move out of state. My thinking was correct. The article is available at www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/10/111010fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all. (You can cut and paste the address from my column on www.blueridgenow.com rather than painstakingly retype it.) I urge everyone to read it.

Written by Jane Mayer and published in The New Yorker on October 10, 2011, the prophetic article chronicles the immense influence Pope is having on my adopted state of North Carolina.

Born into wealth, the 57-year-old Pope is now president, CEO and chairman of the board of his family’s business, the retail discount chain Variety Wholesalers.

According to Mayer, Pope is using his wealth to change the political and social fabric of North Carolina, spending more than $40 million over the past 15 years to influence elections and public policy. And he’s good at it.

Rightly or wrongly, dear reader, we know money wins elections. According to Mayer, the Institute for Southern Studies found that, of 22 legislative races targeted by Pope in 2010, the Republicans won 18. The Republicans then controlled both chambers of the General Assembly for the first time since 1870.

“The institute also found,” writes Mayer, “that three-quarters of the spending by independent groups in North Carolina’s 2010 state races came from accounts linked to Pope.”

Mayer quotes Marc Farinella, adviser to then-Gov. Beverly Perdue, (remember, the story was written in 2011): “In a very real sense, Democrats running for office in North Carolina are always running against Art Pope. The Republican agenda in North Carolina is really Art Pope’s agenda. He sets it, he funds it, and he directs the efforts to achieve it. The candidates are just fronting for him. There are so many people beholden to Art Pope — it undermines the democratic process.”

A source in Mayer’s article prophesied, “I’d guess the governorship will be his next move. He’ll try to elect a Republican governor. That’s the only thing he doesn’t have now.”

Well, he does now.

From everything I’ve read, Pope is a radical Republican pushing his radical agenda. I’m not a big fan of radical in any political party.

There are so many people beholden to Pope. A year ago in January, Pat McCrory, elected with Pope’s financial support, named Pope his budget director.

State Rep. Chuck McGrady told me long ago that, as a “moderate” Republican, he was an endangered species. When I was at the North Carolina Press Association Winter Institute a few weeks ago, I asked state Rep. Chris Malone just how endangered moderates were. He said about a dozen might be targeted in the next election.

Last week, McGrady had a meeting with educators. He agreed with their arguments that teachers and education have been given short shrift by bills passed by McCrory’s government. Yet he didn’t vote against them, and I can guess why. He’s an endangered species, and Pope is North Carolina’s budget director.

I have to admit that I was a little rattled reading about Pope and his influence on this state. But he’s not the only rich man to use his wealth to control government. His friends with whom he has collaborated, the Koch brothers, are doing it as well. Let alone the multitude of special interest groups lobbying elected officials. And the argument can be made that rich Democrats can spend their money as they see fit just as much as rich Republicans. Many of them do.

But, as I said a few columns back, I don’t like being manipulated. I don’t think any rich person, regardless of political (or religious) persuasion, should be allowed to dump money into electoral districts to skew the democratic process. It’s just plain wrong.

The wealth of these folks needs to be removed from the political process. And step one is the reversal of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision by the Supreme Court in 2010 that gave corporations the right to spend as much money on elections as they see fit. Countless more steps will be needed to get money out of politics, and it will be a battle. I just hope it’s not too late.

The rise of the super PACs is a bad thing in a free democracy. It won’t be long before the Chinese, Russians, Saudis or those dastardly Canadians figure out that they can take over this country by simply buying its politicians. Not technically buying them, just spending the money to get them elected so they are beholden, and afraid that should they cross their benefactors, they could be replaced as easily as they were installed.

That’s a type of terrorism we haven’t seen yet. Or have we?

Bruce Benson is a Canadian writer and journalist who makes Hendersonville his home. Reach him at bensonusa@hotmail.com.

<p>I had a meeting with Stephanie Lowder of Rare Bird Creative last week to discuss promotion and marketing of The Flag of Humanity, which I would like to see flying over all the nations of the Earth. After much discussion about the project. the conversation turned to politics.</p><p>“Have you heard of a guy named Art Pope?” she asked.</p><p>“Uhh … not really. The name sounds vaguely familiar, but …”</p><p>“Neither had I until a few months ago. I read an article in The New Yorker, and it made me want to leave North Carolina.”</p><p>She sent me the article and I read it immediately, thinking it must be a powerful piece if it would make someone want to move out of state. My thinking was correct. The article is available at www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/10/111010fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all. (You can cut and paste the address from my column on www.blueridgenow.com rather than painstakingly retype it.) I urge everyone to read it.</p><p>Written by Jane Mayer and published in The New Yorker on October 10, 2011, the prophetic article chronicles the immense influence Pope is having on my adopted state of North Carolina.</p><p>Born into wealth, the 57-year-old Pope is now president, CEO and chairman of the board of his family's business, the retail discount chain Variety Wholesalers.</p><p>According to Mayer, Pope is using his wealth to change the political and social fabric of North Carolina, spending more than $40 million over the past 15 years to influence elections and public policy. And he's good at it.</p><p>Rightly or wrongly, dear reader, we know money wins elections. According to Mayer, the Institute for Southern Studies found that, of 22 legislative races targeted by Pope in 2010, the Republicans won 18. The Republicans then controlled both chambers of the General Assembly for the first time since 1870.</p><p>“The institute also found,” writes Mayer, “that three-quarters of the spending by independent groups in North Carolina's 2010 state races came from accounts linked to Pope.”</p><p>Mayer quotes Marc Farinella, adviser to then-Gov. Beverly Perdue, (remember, the story was written in 2011): “In a very real sense, Democrats running for office in North Carolina are always running against Art Pope. The Republican agenda in North Carolina is really Art Pope's agenda. He sets it, he funds it, and he directs the efforts to achieve it. The candidates are just fronting for him. There are so many people beholden to Art Pope — it undermines the democratic process.”</p><p>A source in Mayer's article prophesied, “I'd guess the governorship will be his next move. He'll try to elect a Republican governor. That's the only thing he doesn't have now.”</p><p>Well, he does now.</p><p>From everything I've read, Pope is a radical Republican pushing his radical agenda. I'm not a big fan of radical in any political party.</p><p>There are so many people beholden to Pope. A year ago in January, Pat McCrory, elected with Pope's financial support, named Pope his budget director.</p><p>State Rep. Chuck McGrady told me long ago that, as a “moderate” Republican, he was an endangered species. When I was at the North Carolina Press Association Winter Institute a few weeks ago, I asked state Rep. Chris Malone just how endangered moderates were. He said about a dozen might be targeted in the next election.</p><p>Last week, McGrady had a meeting with educators. He agreed with their arguments that teachers and education have been given short shrift by bills passed by McCrory's government. Yet he didn't vote against them, and I can guess why. He's an endangered species, and Pope is North Carolina's budget director.</p><p>I have to admit that I was a little rattled reading about Pope and his influence on this state. But he's not the only rich man to use his wealth to control government. His friends with whom he has collaborated, the Koch brothers, are doing it as well. Let alone the multitude of special interest groups lobbying elected officials. And the argument can be made that rich Democrats can spend their money as they see fit just as much as rich Republicans. Many of them do.</p><p>But, as I said a few columns back, I don't like being manipulated. I don't think any rich person, regardless of political (or religious) persuasion, should be allowed to dump money into electoral districts to skew the democratic process. It's just plain wrong.</p><p>The wealth of these folks needs to be removed from the political process. And step one is the reversal of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision by the Supreme Court in 2010 that gave corporations the right to spend as much money on elections as they see fit. Countless more steps will be needed to get money out of politics, and it will be a battle. I just hope it's not too late.</p><p>The rise of the super PACs is a bad thing in a free democracy. It won't be long before the Chinese, Russians, Saudis or those dastardly Canadians figure out that they can take over this country by simply buying its politicians. Not technically buying them, just spending the money to get them elected so they are beholden, and afraid that should they cross their benefactors, they could be replaced as easily as they were installed.</p><p>That's a type of terrorism we haven't seen yet. Or have we?</p><p><b>Bruce Benson is a Canadian writer and journalist who makes Hendersonville his home. Reach him at bensonusa@hotmail.com.</p>